Video Bit Stream Extension by Video Information Annotation

1. A method comprising: in a video capture device, recording video images together with supplemental information about how the video was captured; encoding the supplemental information as a list of parameters, the parameters described in a tag lookup table before annotating the video; and using the supplemental information to annotate the video.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: comparing the current state of the video information with gathered video information regarding a current frame; determining differential information between the stored current state of the video information and the video information regarding a current frame; and annotating the video frame data with the differential information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein annotating the video data with the differential information comprises annotating as an annotation to the video data for the current frame.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein annotating the video data with the differential information comprises annotating the latest encoded information in the bit stream.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the current state comprises maintaining the current state in a state storage memory.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the video information comprises video processing information regarding video frames of the video data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein annotating the video data comprises extending the video bit stream format to include the differential information.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein annotating comprises annotating only if the differential information indicates a change from the current state of the video information in storage.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing instructions which, when executed by a video capture device, cause the device to perform operations, comprising: record video images together with supplemental information about how the video was captured; encoding the supplemental information as a list of parameters, the parameters described in a tag lookup table before annotating the video; and using the supplemental information to annotate the video.

10. The medium of claim 9 , further comprising encoding the differential information as a list of parameters, the parameters being described in a tag lookup table, before annotating the differential information.

11. The medium of claim 9 , wherein annotating the differential information comprises extending the video bit stream format to include the differential information.

12. An apparatus comprising: a state storage memory to maintain a current state of the video information in storage; and a video capture device to record video images together with supplemental information about how the video was captured, encode the supplemental information as a list of parameters, the parameters described in a tag lookup table before annotating the video, and use the supplemental information to annotate the video.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising: a comparator to receive the video information and compare the current state of the video information with video information regarding a current video frame of the sequence of video frames to determine differential information; and wherein the annotator states the differential information in the video bit stream by extending the original bit stream format.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising an encoder to encode the differential information for annotation, the encoded differential information comprising a list of parameters, the parameters being described in a tag lookup table.